Regarding all that happened in an event with a member of the central committee of SYRIZA, the Greek leading party, in Konstanz, Germany.

Regarding all that happened in a business-political event in Konstanz, Germany, with a member of the central committee of SYRIZA, the Greek leading party.

On the 9th of December, in a small, peaceful city of south Germany, named Konstanz, a business-political event took place, where the main speaker was Georgios Chondros, a member of the central committee of SYRIZA, the Greek leading party. The first topic to be presented there was related to the promotion of the olive oil produced by the cooperative company whose administrative member is Chondros, among others. Given that a charitable mask often covers “progressive commerce”, the event held the provocative character of cheap solidarity; for every litter of oil that would be sold that day, one euro (1€!) would be granted to a social pharmacy in Greece. Let us note here that these “hope traders” earned at least 11 euros from each sold litter of oil. The second part of this event was the presentation of the socio-political situation in Greece, accompanied by Greek appetizers and wine.

The planners of this event were the coordinators of the local web zine “seemoz”. Most of these people are also members of the political party “Die Linke”, which is the twinning party of SYRIZA in Germany. The event took place in the Café Mondial, an alternative place with international, solidarity character that operates with a self-organized managing assembly but is provided by the City.

Who is actually, though, Mr. Chondros? He has been a member and candidate in the ballot papers of the Coalition party of Trikala and later on in SYRIZA’s ballots (Coalition of the Radical Left), since the 1990’s. Today he is one of the members of the central committee of SYRIZA and one of the old members of the party’s front line. He managed to climb up on the top of Greek central politics by redeeming his participation in the perennial struggles of the citizens of the county of Trikala and especially those from Mesochora, who fight against the Acheloos river diversion and against the building of a hydroelectric dam at the area. On the advertising poster for this event, Chondros was described as the number one environmental activist in Greece, which is totally unrealistic and ridiculous. As we see from his current activity and given the publication of his book about the Greek crisis, written in German, Chondros constitutes a bridge between the Greek state and the reformist lefts of the German speaking countries of central Europe. At the same time he enjoys luxurious meals with some of the leaders of those capitalistic states (see dinners with “chosen people” such as the ex-chancellor of Austria).

Since we got informed about the aforementioned fiesta we decided to interfere with our speech and put SYRIZA on the spot, regarding their role in the sociopolitical situation in Greece and thus knock down their governmental lies and demolish the glamorization of their politics. We decided to interfere as those who experience at the first place this reality, as part of those in the bottom of this society, as some of the thousands of those that had to leave their homes, families and comrades to migrate abroad and find a job. We aimed to expose the real role of those “progressive” governmental representatives, such as Chondros, who stand among the worthy successors of austerity politics, the camouflaged capitalists and the managers of the exploitation of the natural world.

The event started with the promotion of the oil collective. Our first intervention there came admittedly spontaneously, when in front of as took place a pure irony; an auction with varying offers, this time not on the properties of people but on the olive oil that Chondros was selling. We intervened in this provocative process and addressed the fact that now SYRIZA together with the Greek judicial system and the banks runs the seizure of the homes of thousands of people and leads them to foreclosure auctions.

From the beginning of our efforts to expose our perspectives it was clear that some of the event’s attendants were resenting our presence. They would wish to enjoy a light and controlled event with a bit of politics, a bit of charity, some oil and wine. However, some others asked to hear our positioning, despite the attempts of the event planners and their close friends to skip us over.

Despite the interruptions and the intimations we received about how the discussion should run, we managed to address some of our points. We mentioned that whoever would wish to learn more about the consequences and the implications of the capitalistic restructuring in Greece should better listen to what those on the bottom have to say and not to pay attention to the narrations of the technocratic, politico-economical elite that Chondros represents.

Besides, the biggest lies are hidden in the words of the sovereigns. Thus, we addressed that when SYRIZA artfully presents the unemployment rates having being decreased during their governing, they hide that, in reality, they introduced legislative regulations that make the working conditions extra flexible, which only benefit the employers. In detail, they hide that uninsured and unregistered work, paid with 2 or 3 euros per hour, is a well-established and widespread condition. In parallel, SYRIZA abolished the Sunday holiday and the employments they pride themselves on, actually refer to hiring people for working 4 hours a day for around 250 euros per month.

We also brought up that the current managers of the Greek state (SYRIZA) speak about the rationalization of the state’s services and about fighting tax evasion but what they actually mean is that they have run the automatic seizures of more than 1.7 million bank accounts of micro-deptors. At the same time the state itself and its judicial system, provocatively draw a veil over huge political and economic “scandals” and pass very light sentences to the golden boys of the political-economical elite that have been involved in cases of snatching millions of euros. In a few words, we said that SYRIZA is an asset for the local and international capital. They managed to unblock, in minimum time and with the least possible social reactions, the economical re-structuring process that was blocked by strong and intense popular struggles in the period preceding the governance of SYRIZA. They actually managed to vote for destructive measures regarding the systems of retirement, taxation and health insurance.

We also spoke about the audacity of the SYRIZA people that present themselves as dedicated to the interests of the people in the bottom of the social hierarchy, but in parallel, today, they work hard to circumvent those interests for the benefit of the bosses of this world. We spoke about the thousands of immigrants and refugees that are packed in the “concentration camps” of Greece and suffer from the imposed confinement and the terrible living conditions there. SYRIZA has signed murderous agreements with the European Union and Turkey regarding deportations of immigrants and refugees. On the top of these policies SYRIZA’s government collaborates with the Turkish state for the repression of Kurdish and Turkish revolutionaries. SYRIZA has the political responsibility for dozens of deaths of inmates that die under clouded conditions in police stations and in the hell of the Greek prisons. We also spoke about the police operations against immigrants, demonstrations and self-organized occupied buildings.

It’s so easy to unmask the real face of the authoritarians, that Chondros, this professional hypocrite, in his tight spot, responded to the above by invocating the racist-reactionary reflections of the audience and by asking “how would the citizens of Konstanz feel if suddenly the same proportion of immigrants as in Lesvos would move in their small city”…

We are not surprised. What could SYRIZA say about the people that escaped war and poverty that were forced in their homelands by the dominants of this world, when the Greek state itself is in great reciprocal cooperation with NATO- the largest death machine of the west? The Greek state offers army bases and the right for the binding and landing of war frigates and militant aircrafts that swoop against the East fronts. Additionally, SYRIZA dragged up the Macedonian naming issue, rekindling a nationalistic outbreak, just in order to overcome any obstacles that this topic generates in relation to the integration of Macedonia in NATO. This integration will enforce the geostrategic influence of USA and will open new ways for the expansion of the Greek capital. Lately, in Greece we see an increase of financial and industrial exhibitions and conferences with the USA in the role of the protagonist, whereas Greece serves the most excellent customer of the USA in the weapon market. Whatever they say, they can’t hide the involvement and the complicity of the Greek economic and political power in the war crimes that take place.

Additionally, the provocation of presenting a high-ranking state member as the number one environmental activist couldn’t stay unanswered from our side. We, thus, exposed the truth about the governmental plans on the catastrophic extractions of carbohydrates in the areas of West Greece, but also on the undersea extractions that are meant to take place close to Cyprus and might destroy pristine ecosystems. We of course mentioned as well, the contribution of the SYRIZA government in issuing one permit after the other allowing the continuous deforestation and the destruction of the areas of north-east Chalkidiki, in the name of gold mining.

We last exposed the political disgrace of Chondors on the topic of the Acheloos river diversion and the construction of the hydro-electric dam in the village of Mesochora, where he comes from. SYRIZA, for years before they became government, were using several local petty micro-politicians, such as the speaker of this event, to control and pump goodwill from the struggles of the local people and the respective solidarity movements. For many years, Greek higher courts had blocked the overall project of the river diversion. However, on August of 2017 SYRIZA completed the process of unblocking the construction of the H/E dam of Mesochora by signing its separation from the bigger diversion project. Back then, the deputy Minister of Environment and Energy (Famellos) signed and issued the decision of approval of environmental terms (AEΠO in Greek) for the dam. According to his statements, the dam will be completed and start operating in the summer of 2019.

Obviously, this special topic that Chondors tries to use as a flag, embarrasses him irreparably. He made a hopeless effort to save his image. While looking dazed, he listed a series of inaccuracies before asking the audience how else could the energetic needs of this place be covered without the completion of this project. Perhaps, the projects that are destructive for the nature are finally necessary… to get a chair you need to sacrifice a lot.

At this point the organizers and Chondros himself tried to close the event hastily, seeming very annoyed by what we had exposed. Right after the closing and when one of the two of us approached Chondros to remind him the role of him and his brothers in the case of Acheloos River, he replied with screams and expletives, obviously in Greek, not to ruin his civilized image of the highbrow politician that he wanted to present to the German audience. At this moment, Chondros walked threateningly towards one of us and grabbed the comrade with his hands. His attempt to escalate and repel the comrade using physical violence got pushed back straight ahead and was dealt as it was; the physicalization of authoritative arrogance and provocation.

Then the organizers of the event, some first-class members of the “Die Linke” party and people that participate in the management of the place that was hosting the event, coordinated and collectively attempted to repel the comrade outside the place, while the comrade was refusing to leave and was explaining calmly what had just happened. At the same moment they didn’t hesitate to push and repel the female comrade of us that had not been involved in the physical conflict. While she was telling them that they take the political responsibility of expulsing a female immigrant struggler that doesn’t even speak their language, from a place that calls itself place of equality and solidarity, the crowd was screaming and pushing her toward the exit. They even led themselves to the absolute degradation of threatening that they will call the police! In parallel, Chondros was victimizing himself while hiding behind those who chose to support him. Despite the threatening of the mad crowd and their attempt to expulse us, we chose to stay for a few more moments and showcase this absolute delirium that was depicted in our attempted expulsion. We were those who spoke about the everyday brutality that the Greek state executes in the lives of those at the bottom of this society, those who resist directly and uncompromisingly against the authoritative arrogance of the representatives of the state, such as Chondros. We left when we decided so.

Let us clarify that potentially, some of the people that were present in this event, had a pure interest about the situation that prevails in Greece. Maybe, some had already realized how hypocritical and misleading it can be when one of the managers of the state speaks about this situation. We also comprehend a well-intentioned, possibly naive, approach of some people who haven’t experienced directly what it looks like to be deceived by the professional political story-tellers of the reformist left. However, we do not intend to show any tolerance to the aspirant statists, those who want to imitate the model of SYRIZA that through the parties of assimilation and internal repression, such as Die Linke, pursue to control and deceive the resistance of the downtrodden. Their dream goal is to rise on the top of the power. On that day, the members of Die Linke confirmed that the reformist left is a would-be manager of capitalism, a conservative bunch of bullies that if they have the numbers they will attempt to gag any uncontrollable and unwanted voices.

From our side we don’t attempt to victimize ourselves with this text but to bring up what actually happened that day and why. We anyways have learnt to shoot back persistently against arrestments, imprisonments and other operations that the authorities run against the strugglers. Our immigration doesn’t automatically cancel the position we have chosen in the social war, neither deleted us from the map in general. What connects the occupied French roads with the burning barricades in Greece, connects us with the struggles that have been given and continue inside and outside the Greek borders; against the capitalism and its managers, against the powers of integration and repression of the horizontal movements who can unmask the real role and function of the state.

The bosses should better know that unwelcome surprises can emerge even in the most unpredicted moments, even in the most peaceful and safe zones.

Well, good luck to mister Chondros and his political career, let him put the money he made in this journey to a good place, let the oil promotion flourish and we see each other in the barricades; where all of us who resist will be at the opposite side of him and his brothers, namely the cops, the judges, the politicians, the peaceful civilians and the bosses.

Solidarity is not a top-to-bottom charity.

We build communities of solidarity and action between the oppressed.

the text in Greek: https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1594966/